Man With Axes Smashes Up Historic Abbey

Published 7:00 pm, Thursday, January 2, 2003

A man with two axes smashed up a 12th-century abbey north of London on Friday, injuring two people and breaking several stained glass windows.

Canon Martin Webster, rector of Waltham Abbey, said the "frenzied attack" lasted only a few minutes but the man caused enormous damage to the historic building.

Essex police said they arrested a 47-year-old suspect.

Webster said the attacker broke windows, pulpits, the organ console and the altar in his attack. Church officials estimated the cost of the damage at $320,000.

"Virtually no part of the church was left undamaged," Webster told British Broadcasting Corp. television. "It is going to take a long time to sort this out."

Webster said the attack appeared to arise from a dispute the man engaged in outside the abbey 13 miles north of London. After damaging vehicles, the man burst into the church, "running amok" with an ax in each hand, Webster said.

Webster said off-duty police officers who were in the church called for help and moved members of the public to safety.

The abbey is known as the resting place of King Harold, who was killed by an arrow in the eye at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.